The music by Trevor Jones is also terrible - it's big, but it's also completely uninspired, like so many modern scores.

Was this film supposed to be a black comedy? Because that's the vibe I was getting from it. The process photography for the private investigator falling down the stairs was very funny. The reveal of mother was amusing as well, especially as the score starts screeching again when Perkins comes into the basement with this hilarious look on his face.

I guess Hitchcock wanted a "low budget" film (under $1M) and that's certainly what this film feels like. The overall performance by Tony Perkins is quite good, but unfortunately that wasn't enough to save this picture from being a huge laugh. I don't know if it's because I'm from a different generation or what it is, but much of the movie (especially the murder scenes) seemed really cheesy. Perhaps I'm just surprised that an "R" rated film showed less than what I can see on current primetime television. I don't enjoy excess gore, but the "make it up in your mind" theme for the shower scene just didn't work for me.

Bernard Herrmann's music is unquestionably the best thing about the film. I never particularly cared for the music, but it's growing on me as long as I skip the murder music when I listen to it on CD. The score sounds rather crappy for a 1960 recording on the DVD, as if it came from an optical source. Film restorer Robert Harris has said that Hitchcock was 'advised' to trash all of the music/effects/dialog stems from his movies and so here we are left with listening to a soundtrack that sounds like it came off an old 35mm print. Oh well, it works... I guess.

All in all, I was left disappointed. I'm surprised that many people consider this film to be Hitch's best, and I'm especially surprised to see it at #21 on IMDB. It's way overrated in my opinion. At least I am left with the memory of being carded at Wal-Mart to buy this film. (God bless Wal-Mart for protecting the children.)

Graham,

Saludos mi amigo.

I just got back from three weeks in Costa Rica. San Jose theatres have two for one prices on movies every Tuesday. I hope your vacation was as productive as mine. What happened to Louis Goldberg? I saw Pirates of the Carribean and The Italian Job (both titles and posters are in Spanish, but don't ask me what they are; I forgot. Probably the same titles in Spain) with Spanish subtitles.

Back in New York, I still haven't gotten around to seeing 28 DAYS, but I will with the good comments by the people on this and other messageboards.

Adios,

James

PS: Changing scumbags from an adjective to a noun, I left them in CR.

High Fidelity
Enjoyed this. I think they did a good job of bringing the superb book to the screen with the same feel. Jack Black is hilarious.

But what continually surprises me about someone of Hitchcock's calibre and precision is the amount of times a shot or a sequence falls flat due to clumsy staging. There's nothing in VERTIGO as unforgivable as the climax of REAR WINDOW (Jimmy Stewart dazzling the killer with repeated flashes from his deadly Kodak Instamatic), but I was always annoyed by the long tailing scenes, with Stewart spying on the girl from about three feet away, cunningly standing next to a pillar, near a gravestone, or just throwing caution to the wind and gawking out his car window at her. And I never liked Kim Novak - too vulgar and big-boned, like a large transvestite. Of course, I could overlook all this if the film as a whole convinced me, but it doesn't.

I love Bernard Herrmann, but I used to love this score more than I do now. Maybe I just wore it out, but I rarely have the urge to listen to it nowadays.

VERTIGO (USA 1958)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay by Alec Coppel and Samuel Taylor, from the novel by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac
Photography by Robert Burks
Music by Bernard Herrmann

Later on, I saw Vertigo on T.V. again. I had seen it a few years before but this viewing brought back all the intensity and memories of my own experience...Bernard Herrmann's music made it even more emotionally tortuous to watch.
For me personally, the obssession I felt towards my ex, matched perfectly Jimmy Stewarts on-screen feelings for Kim Novak. The way Hitchcock shows us how totally overwhelming an obsession can be is truly masterful. Hitchcock goes to great lengths to show us those obsessions of memories for the details such as dress and hairstyle etc in Kim Novak that James Stewart is trying to bring back to recapture that totally unique person who is the object of his obsession. The film, for me, was absolutely unrelentless in its ability to move me profoundly by bringing back my own intense feelings of my own experience. The scenario and narrative may be simply plotted, but the emotional power of the film is profoundly complex.

Of course, thats just my own personal experience!!

Gae

P.S. that was quite a cathartic experience writing that story out, even after 14 years!!

What I like most about the trailing sequences are the shots of late 1950s streets in San Francisco and the old cars. Even though I find these sequences are "interesting" to look at for historical reasons, I'll agree that they do little to propel the story along. The scene that bugs me the most is the discussion which takes place with the lady at the desk of the 'hotel' where "Carlotta" rents a room. Where exactly did Madeleine go here? What is the purpose of this scene?

Those are just a few of the things that bug me most about the film. Overall I enjoy the picture but it's far from perfect.

quote:

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Originally posted by DavidOC:
How many composers get to hear their music synched to the final cut of a film as brashly as the early scene when Jim is walking around the empty streets. It builds and builds, it becomes like watching a rock video without inane lyrics attached - what a great scene, allowing the music to completely engulf our senses for a few minutes.

---

Although actually that piece isn't John Murpy's score, but actually "East Hastings" by the anarchic rock group Godspeed You Black Emperor.

Ernest Gold's icy piano work for the shots of a desolate San Francisco really stand out, but for the most part the score mirrors the largely traditional old-hat spirit of the movie, and the umpteen variations on "Waltzing Matilda" become almost infuriatingly corny. Just as I'd like to have seen a Douglas Sirk melodrama with a Leonard Rosenman score in place of the lush Frank Skinner ones, so I'd like to imagine how ON THE BEACH would have been changed if it had had a score like Jerry Goldsmith's SECONDS.

ON THE BEACH (USA 1959)

Directed by Stanley Kramer
Screenplay by John Paxton and James Lee Barrett, from the novel by Nevil Shute
Photography by Giuseppe Rotunno
Music by Ernest Gold

Like FAR FROM HEAVEN, which this score resembles, Elmer Bernstein's music is so textbook spot-on as to be almost a parody (soapy piano concerto touches; swaggering jazz for the infidelities, etc). It would make a good CD release.

BY LOVE POSSESSED (USA 1961)

Directed by John Sturges
Screenplay by John Dennis, from the novel by James Gould Cozzens
Photography by Russell Metty
Music by Elmer Bernstein

The performances are good all round, but even so, the two Bobs ended up alienating me with such self-conscious restraint.

This film could really have done with a firework up its backside to get the sparks flying, but as it is, it's a mere damp squib.

Not much to get excited about either in Georges Delerue's lilting, tranquil score.

TRUE CONFESSIONS (USA 1981)

Directed by Ulu Grosbard
Screenplay by John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion, from the novel by John Gregory Dunne
Photography by Owen Roizman
Music by Georges Delerue

After renting it four times and never watching it, on the fifth try I've finally seen GRAND ILLUSION. It was worth it. This was beautiful, moving film that has rightfully earned it's place in film history. It's easy to see it's influence on many films that came after. The acting, photography, story, everything is virtually perfect.

Yes, virtually. For all that, I have to be completely honest...(SPOILERS AHEAD)...

...I don't think that last half-hour should be there. Maybe someone else can explain its importance to me, but I really didn't see the point. It seems to me that once Boieldieu is dead, Renior has said everything that needs to be said. I thought it would have made for a better ending if we saw Marechal and Rosenthal escape but were left wondering what happened to them afterwards. And since their futures are uncertain anyway by the time the film ends, what was the purpose of that last act? It feels tacked on to me.

I don't mean to get too boiled up about it. The film is still a masterpiece for everything else, and I love it all the same. I just wish I could love those last thirty minutes....

I saw this film in its (first) theatrical run and loved it, and now saw it again on DVD and loved it even more. George Clooney really impressed me as a director. He has made a film that looks polished and professional, yet fresh and somewhat daring at the same time. This is probably due in large part to hiring the best possible people to work around him. The real star of the production, I'd say, is cinematographer Newton Thomas Siegel, who in my opinion was disastrously overlooked by the Oscars for his work here. There is some very striking and memorable composition here, and a wonderful use of shadows. (Clooney seems to be very fond of silhouettes.)

Sam Rockwell's performance is nothing short of extraordinary. He has a lot to handle in order to carry this film. For one thing, he has to imitate the Chuck Barris everybody knew without letting that persona get in the way of his creation of the character we see on film. And for another, he has to make a very dislikable, unendearing character likable and endearing enough for the audience to care about what's happening to him. He not only succeeds, but exceeds any expectations one could have. It's a really standout performance, and another nomination the Academy missed.

Most of the remaining cast are pretty good, though admittedly they don't hold up to Rockwell. Drew Barrymore's Penny, unlike Chuck, is instantly endearing, and to Barrymore's credit she effectively avoids making her character feel like too much of a victim (even though she is), which would upset the audience's sympathy with Chuck. Clooney is pretty good, though he seems a tad uncomfortable directing himself (which indeed he was, according to his commentary). Rutger Hauer (it's great to see him in something again) turns in a very memorable performance despite the small amount of screen time he gets.

The real weak link here is Julia Roberts. She's intensely distracting, partly because of her status, and mostly because of her inability to really throw herself into the role as much as she should have. She's supposed to evoke the classic femme fatale, but fails to evoke anything other than classic Julia Roberts. I don't believe in an actor being too big for a part, and I was able to forget she was Julia Roberts when I saw Erin Brokovich, so it's just something about her here that doesn't sit right. She just doesn't seem that interested in her character. In the end, though, I'm sure her participation did a lot to get the film made, and for that reason I can forgive her for any shortcomings.

No, I suppose it's not a perfectly made film. There are times when Kaufman's script comes dangerously close to crossing the line between homage and cliche (I think it actually does cross it in the final scene between Rockwell and Roberts), but this probably reflects Barris's book, so it doesn't bother me. In the end, this is a continually interesting, smart, funny, and visually stimulating film that (I hope) is destined to become a cult classic. It's also a spectacular debut for Clooney the director, and I hope to see more from him soon.

The DVD is also great, with lots of deleted scenes (all of which are quite good), a short but sweet making-of, and a really wonderful commentary by a very open, friendly, and honest Goerge Clooney along with the equally personable Newton Thomas Siegel.

Highly recommended to all.

Kirk
NP - Casanova (Rota)

quote:

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Originally posted by DavidOC:
Thanks for that,Pete. I should have checked the soundtrack in the store before saying that for certain. I just assumed that being an instrumental piece, it was part of Murphy's score. It's a great piece of music either way. Almost worth buying the disc just to hear it again.

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There are couple of friends/co-workers of mine who would not let me continue living until I had seen this film. Not wanting to be constantly irritated by it, I rented it and gave it a whirl. It's an interesting film, though I didn't come close to the religious experience they seemed to share with it.

To start with, I should say that, in my opinion, sex scenes in general usually accomplish nothing more than slowing the narrative of a film to a crawl. There are few things in films that I find more boring. It's a credit to this one that I rarely got that feeling, because there's a lot of sex here. Thankfully, most of it is story-driven, though there are some scenes that could have been cut without any damage to the narrative or to character development. (Incidentally, the only film I've seen which has extensive sex scenes completely free from gratuity is Alfonso Cuaron's wonderful Y Tu Mama Tambien.)

Anyway, on to what the film is really about. If you ignore the unconventional structure and look at the plot chronologically, what you come up with is a very contrived love story (or series of love stories) with so many complications and coincidences it sounds like something out of a soap opera or a Danielle Steel novel. The story itself is not very compelling, so the focus is on the way that story unfolds to the audience and (more importantly) the characters wandering around in this complex little mess.

Despite my apparent disdain for the story, it all actually works well. I was always interested in what was happening to each character, I got caught up in the same stupefying mystery they found themselves in. Ultimately, though, it left me unmoved. Perhaps it was the unbelievable set of coincidences. Maybe it was the sex. I don't really know. This movie was worth the two hours I spent watching it, but I didn't like it enough to give it a more favorable endorsement than that.

Apparently the DVD I rented was the R-rated version, two minutes shorter than the unrated version shown in theatres. It's a great illustration of how sexist our ratings system is, as it's obvious you can get away with a lot more female explicitness than male in an R-rated film.

Wonderful, mesmerizing, beautiful, captivating, gloriously simplistic. This is my second Bergman film - I started with The Seventh Seal, and I loved this one even more. A lot has been written about it, so I don't know what I can contribute. I was stunned.

The VHS version I rented seemed to have a problem with the subtitles. There were often points in conversations that were left completely untranslated (unless it takes a much longer time to say something in Swedish than it does in English), and the translated sentences often came out sounding very awkward and questionable. All the more reason for the Criterion DVD to be put at the top of my "to buy" list. I'm greatly looking forward to my further exploration of Bergman's work.

I haven't seen either El Mariachi or Desperado, but it doesn't seem like it mattered. This is a big, silly, stupid, and fun diversion with a good sense of humor. It has plenty of problems, but it's not the kind of film that lends itself to analysis. All you need to know is that stuff blows up, people get shot at, and Johnny Depp steals the entire movie. I know I wouldn't have liked it much without him. I don't really get in to all the stuff blowing up and people getting shot at, but I have to give a round of applause to Robert Rodriguez for handling so many different tasks in so little time with a limited budget, and still turning out a final product that looks just as good as any 100-million-dollar studio spectacle (except that it would have looked a little more vibrant had it been shot on film instead of video).

WOW......This is, put simply, THE best film I have seen this year so far. It is truly extraordinary. Impossible to explain in any satisfactory way. Basically, the story is that Murray is a (sort of) washed-up movie star in Japan doing whiskey commercials. Johansson is the wife of a photographer (Ribisi) doing a photo shoot. They meet in a hotel bar and hang out for a few days.

That's the only "plot" to speak of. You won't find any of the conventional devices here. Everything in this film is warmly, honestly, and intelligently handled. It's a bittersweet, heartbreaking, and life-affirming film you'll both laugh and cry at. Murray and Johansson both deserve Oscar nominations for their work here. Everything here is beautiful. I'll be going back multiple times as soon as it's opened wider this Friday. I simply can't recommend this film strongly enough. It's definitely going to be in my top five at the end of the year (and probably the decade).

I was lucky and saw an advance screening of Woody Allen's new film "Anything Else" tonight. I have to admit that I am a huge Woody Allen fan...a very devoted fan. "Manhattan" was my introduction to Woody's work, and although I knew who Woody Allen was, it wasn't until my exposure to "Manhattan" that I realized he was certainly "my kind of guy." I've seen most of his films now, and prior to tonight I thought that his last truly 'great film' was 1992's "Husbands and Wives" (Allen's films since then haven't been great, even though I certainly think they've been very good). When I heard a few months ago that a new Woody Allen movie was coming out, I got excited. I was anticipating it's release because I've never seen a Woody Allen film on the big screen.

When I saw the trailer for "Anything Else," which is being marketing as an upbeat hip teenage film, I knew that the film's publicity was marketing it that way with the soul purpose to draw a broad audience (the character Woody is playing is very important in the story, and Woody's face isn't anywhere to be found in the trailer). This has happened to a movie before ("Monkeybone" being a prime example), so of course it didn't stop me.

As for my feelings on "Anything Else," I'm immensely delighted that Woody Allen has delivered a terrific romantic and witty film about relationships (a genre he hasn't taped into in a long time, and also the genre he is absolutely best at). Jason Biggs, whom I've always had a certain fondness for but who has never been in anything I've had a desire to watch, is teriffic as Jerry, a comedic writer who is struggling with his relationship with Amanda (Christina Ricci). So much of this movie echos real life, and I feel Woody had something to say here and does it. And this is Woody Allen's best performance as an actor in years. He is eerily insecure, absolutely hilarious, and downright perfect as the character Dobel, Jerry's friend and fellow comedy writer.

I like the way the characters are dressed, and the cinematography is great ("quintessential Woody"). Also, I felt the ending and what happens to the characters was a graceful way to wrap up the story (I was a satisfied as I was with graceful wrap-up of "Crimes and Misdemeanors").

It is important to note that I was sitting with a very diverse audience (it was great, so many different kinds of people I felt like I was in a Fellini movie), including many teenagers, and I would think many teenagers would consider "Anything Else" dull and sparse compared to the mainstream, I was delighted that most of them appeared to be absorbed in the film. It was great to hear teenage girls laughing at the many little quirks of Woody's character Dobel. Maybe as the result of Dreamworks' marketing, a whole new generation of Woody Allen fans will be born?

All in all, an impressive new film from Woody Allen. I had a lot of fun. I look forward to "Lost in Translation" and "American Splendor" in the next few weeks.

Dylan

NP: Family Man (Danny Elfman)

James, I know how you feel discovering Bergman. I went through the same thing last year and have seen about 7 or 8 of his films now. Wild Strawberries is fantastic, but my favourite so far is definately Persona - this will blow you away like you wouldn't believe! I'd say it's in the top 5 films I've ever seen. Almost as good are Cries and Whispers and the moving The Virgin Spring. For a truly bizarre, surreal film experience, try to get a copy of The Hour of the Wolf - the last half-hour of that film is mind-bending and you'll want to see it over and over to understand what the hell it's all about. It's hypnotic viewing like most of his films.
After seeing all these Bergman films, I have to say that one of the most astonishing facets of them - apart from the genius of the writing and direction - is the incalculable artistic contribution of Sven Nykvist. If there has ever been a better cinematographer in film history, I've not yet discovered him or her. This man is nothing short of a god behind the lens, working his magic with light and shadow, and colour too in the later Bergman films. Until a year or so ago, I was an ignoramus and wouldn't have said this - but you just haven't explored the greatness of film until you've seen Bergman.

Interesting, well paced movie... though slightly anti-climatic at the end, "We got the story and you didn't".

Planet Of The Apes (Schaffner Original)-
Blew me away just about as much as Great Escape. The way suspense and build up is used before Heston can finally say "get your stinking paws off me..." was brilliant and had me on edge. It was annoying to see him unable to speak and so abused, then finally satisfying when he lashed out like that. I guess this is how things are supposed to be in movies

And of course, I knew the ending, but it still gets you after all Taylor (Heston) has been through.

BULLETPROOF MONK is another miss in the martial arts’ genre. It is no Seven
Samurai, Matrix, or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It is a grade D replicant of some
solid martial arts films. Yun Fat Chou deserves better movies. There is an attractive
musical main theme in the film.

Alex, The Great Escape is a terrific movie. McQueen was King of Cool. Check out Magnificent Seven. You get McQueen and more magnificent Bernstein music.

I'm very glad that you loved "Wild Strawberries." It is a marvelous film.

I love Ingmar Bergman, and have either LOVED or immensely enjoyed/admired all of the Bergman films I've had the pleasure of viewing. The collaboration between Bergman and cinematographer Sven Nykvist is one of the most fruitful in film history. My favorites are likely the ones with Max von Sydow, as I'm a big fan of his acting. He is marvelous.

Of all the Bergman films I've seen, the one that left the biggest impression was "Through a Glass Darkly" (my favorite). I love Persona, The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, and Hour of the Wolf. I also loved the film "Best Intentions," which Bergman wrote. "Cries and Whispers" was one of the most disturbing, painful films I've ever seen, but I still thought it was excellent, and Nykvist's photography was gorgeous and masterful. I enjoyed Bergman's adaptation of the opera "The Magic Flute": Nykvist's photography was stunning and beautiful, as always (the part that has stuck with me is the opening Overture sequence), you'd really love that scene, Kirk.

Out of the ones I haven't seen (there are many that I haven't), "Autumn Sonata," "Winter Light," and "The Silence," are the ones I believe I will love immensely. I also want to see "Sunday's Children" and "Private Confessions," both of which he wrote. I haven't been able to find a copy of "Fanny and Alexander," Sven Nykvist's second Oscar win, but it's a film that sounds truly wonderful. Really, anything and everything by Bergman is good in my book.

I just love foreign films. One of the great beauties of foreign cinema (particularly Bergman and Fellini) is that there's always a part of the film that remains mysterious, unexplained. It's like a great poem or painting or piece of music. You can analyze it as much as you want, but it's usually not a puzzle to be solved (though I often instantly connect with most of them in one way or another...and feeling a connection with a film like "La Dolce Vita" is a beautiful feeling). I am always able to sink into their films and come out more aware of something about myself. What more can we expect from art?

Best Regards,
Dylan

PS- I rented a few that I will watch over the next few days: Orchestra Rehearsal (Fellini), Passion of Joan of Arc (Dreyer), Alexander Nevsky (Eisenstein), and the Oscar-winning Tin Drum (Schlondorff).

Yes, virtually. For all that, I have to be completely honest...([b]SPOILERS AHEAD)...

...I don't think that last half-hour should be there. Maybe someone else can explain its importance to me, but I really didn't see the point. It seems to me that once Boieldieu is dead, Renior has said everything that needs to be said. I thought it would have made for a better ending if we saw Marechal and Rosenthal escape but were left wondering what happened to them afterwards. And since their futures are uncertain anyway by the time the film ends, what was the purpose of that last act? It feels tacked on to me.

I don't mean to get too boiled up about it. The film is still a masterpiece for everything else, and I love it all the same. I just wish I could love those last thirty minutes....

Kirk
NP - Casanova (Rota)[/B]<HR size=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

Kirk,

I'm glad that you greatly enjoyed "Grand Illusion." So you didn't like it when Marechal and Rosenthal were living with the German woman? I guess I can see that. For some reason, that's actually my favorite part of the movie! I guess it's the language barrier that I found so attractive, also an element in "Bottle Rocket" (a film I didn't particularly like, but the element of a language barrier bewteen a man and a woman was one part of the story and I thought it was entertainingly and attractively realized). I guess I found the last part of "Grand Illusion" to be very soothing. I think I see your point, though. Take care.

Best Regards,
Dylan

NP: Juliet of the Spirits (Nino Rota)

Thanks for the glowing review of Anything Else. I've really been looking forward to this one, since from the beginning it sounded like it was a return to Allen's earlier form. The one really positive thing that struck me from the trailer was that there was no big gag or gimmick in the plot, which is somewthing that I feel has weakened recent Woody Allen films and especially recent romantic comedies. It just said "Here are two people, and here's a film about their relationship." I'm looking forward to it even more after knowing that you responded to it so well.

I'm really anxious to see more Bergman films now, and I should be posting quite a few more comments on them in the coming weeks, I should think.

As to Grand Illusion, maybe it's more a matter of personal taste. I should say, taken on its own, that last act is quite good. It's just that somehow it didn't seem to belong in the same film. I'll definitely be giving this another viewing at some point, so maybe my opinion will change.

Is that Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket you're referring to? I keep meaning to rent it, having loved both Rushmore and (esepcially) The Royal Tenenbaums, but it always slips my mind.

Kirk
NP - Fahrenheit 451 (Herrmann)

Wow! You've just watched THE GREAT ESCAPE for the first time ...I wouldn't even put money on it that there are Monks living in a remote part of Tibet that haven't seen this film?!

Besides Mag 7 check out McQueen in Bullitt and Papillon both of which are classics, and for a good slice of cheese THE BLOB!

Alex, isn't the original PLANET OF THE APES just amazing. Adrenalin AND ideas.

Directed by Jonas McCord
Screenplay by Jonas McCord
Photography by Vilmos Zsigmond
Music by Serge Colbert

Main Cast: Antonio Banderas, Olivia Williams, John Shrapnel, John Wood, Derek Jacobi

International skullduggery rears its ugly head when an archaeologist uncovers a skeleton which might be that of Jesus Christ himself.

Looking like a hybrid of late 70s Lew Grade produced fodder and a European miniseries (though smaller in scale than either), there isn't much weight behind THE BODY, I'm afraid, and it's fatally sunk by an exceedingly awkward-sounding script which the earnest playing only seems to accentuate. Interesting premise, botched handling.

Directed by Mark Herman
Screenplay by Mark Herman
Photography by Andy Collins
Music by Trevor Jones

Main Cast: Pete Postlethwaite, Ewan McGregor, Tara Fitzgerald, Stephen Tomkinson, Jim Carter, Philip Jackson, Stephen Moore

Fascist cow Maggie bloody Thatcher causes nowt but trouble down t'pit. As tempers fray, the lads cling on to a bit of dignity by playing in the brass band.

I liked THE FULL MONTY, and I thought BILLY ELLIOT was great. BRASSED OFF is along similar lines - and I didn't like it at all. It takes the easy way out at every turn in its schematic, sentimental portrayal of the hardships facing the salt of the earth. I wasn't at all convinced by its stance, and it all culminates in an embarrassingly preachy scene at the Albert Hall which is just so much bollox (though the always excellent Pete Postlethwaite delivers the speech with conviction). Call me mean-spirited, but even if BRASSED OFF's heart is in the right place, I found the whole thing resoundingly false, predictable and simple-minded.

quote:

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Originally posted by Graham Watt:
Alex, isn't the original PLANET OF THE APES just amazing. Adrenalin AND ideas.
.

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Despite the shoestring budget, El Mariachi is a better film I think. For $7000 over 2 weeks? Under the circumstances, a minor classic. The story has a lot more substance and Rodriguez's own camerawork is exhilerating in the shootouts and chases. The funniest bit was where he's having a bath in the woman's room and she sneaks up - suspecting he's NOT the mariachi - and puts a dagger to his genitals, forcing him to play the guitar and sing - the song he invents on the spot is absolutely hilarious!!
I'm now actually looking forward to his latest, the third in this unofficial trilogy - sadly it's not opening here for a while, I don't think.

"That day, thinking about the grown-up world and my own future, I decided to call a halt. To stop growing then and there and remain a three-year-old, a gnome, once and for all"

Goodness, what a marvel this film is! It is certainly the greatest film from Germany that I have seen yet. Winner of the 1979 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, "The Tin Drum" follows the life of a boy named Oskar. After seeing how ludicrous adults act, Oskar decides to stop his growth, and stay three years old forever by falling down the stairs. He succeeds, and the fall has stopped his growth. Aside from the hault of growth, the fall eqips him with two special powers that he regularly manifests. The lesser of these two powers, is repeatedly pounding his tin drum, which he absolutely refuses to let go of. Oskar's undeniable power is to let out a high pitched shriek that will shatter any glass he directs it at. Does it sound strange? Well, the film is much stranger, but also much more beautiful than my description.

The film follows our little Oscar over a period of around two decades, through World War II in Germany. We follow Oskar through his many sexual, emotional, tragic, funny, and beautiful exploits. An absolutely important credit must be given to actor David Bennett, who plays young Oskar. He portrays Oskar as an infant, as a three year-old, as a six year-old, as a twelve year-old, as a 16 year-old, as a 21 year-old...well, you get the picture. Bennett was only 11 at the time, and his performance is very impressive.

I haven't seen very many German films from the last thirty years, but most of the ones I have seen (the excellent "Vanishing," and the immensely mediocre "White Rose") haven't had very good scores. "The Tin Drum" has a very slight, but very servicable, score by the famous Maurice Jarre. The score has an emotional theme played in only a few scenes (notably, the ending), it also has an innocent little music box theme, and surprisingly a cool waltz for scenes involving members of the circus (a big part of the second-half of the film). A very good score. To my knowledge, it was released on LP when the film was released, and on a CD pressed in Japan sometime in the 90's. I read that the (sadly out of print) Kino DVD includes the isolated score as an extra.

It's an excellent film that I strongly connected with, but I can see many people not liking it, it is VERY strange, but I am somebody who has always found VERY strange things extremely beautiful, and "The Tin Drum" is no exception. Over-all, I consider this film a classic, and I'll once again state that it is certainly the greatest film from Germany that I have seen yet.

Dylan
NP: Big (Howard Shore)